


Suddenly

by teaspoonbooks27



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Horace is the fun uncle, I don’t know what is going to happen, WE WILL FIND OUT TOGETHER, Will basically is a Dad and he just doesn’t know it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:34:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28160226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaspoonbooks27/pseuds/teaspoonbooks27
Summary: Will is struggling in Seacliff when two children appear at his door
Relationships: Horace Altman & Will Treaty
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Yesterday I was alone

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly have no idea what happened. This was not what I planned for this FanFiction Friday. But this is where the story decided to go!  
> (Title and chapter titles from the song Suddenly from Les Mis)

Will sighed as he rode through Seacliff. The nervous glances the towns people gave him when he passed by made him feel as though he was on an island of his own.

Seacliff had taken its toll on Will. He didn’t realize how difficult it would be to be away from Redmont. Away from his friends. Away from Halt. Seeing Alyss and Horace in Norgate had been a god sent, and despite the life threatening circumstances, part of him wishes they were still there together. Leaving Shadow with Trobar didn’t make returning to Seacliff any easier. Will knew that it was the right thing to do (he really did) but he still wished for his furry, four legged companion. He still had Tug, but there was only so many conversations you could have with a horse before you started to question your sanity. 

Will wasn’t used to being alone. Despite growing up an orphan, there were always people around. Whether it was one of the staff members who cared for the children, or the other children themselves. Then he was with Halt. Skandia was the first time he felt alone, even though there were always other slaves around, they weren’t exactly great companions. Then warmweed dulled out those lonely feelings. Any feelings at all actually. 

Being alone at SeaCliff was different from any loneliness he’s ever felt. It was... grown up. It felt final. This was it. This was the life that he signed up for. Will knew that the life of a Ranger was a solitary one the majority of the time. It was rare that more than one Ranger was need, and the gathering only happened once a year. Sure he met with the Baron and BattleMaster, and sometimes he worked with others, but he couldn’t allow himself to become personal friends with any of them. He need to keep an air of mystic around himself, fear was a powerful tool. Will didn’t truly realize how independent he would be though. The cold loneliness made him doubt his ability to be a Ranger. Could he really do this until he retired? He had friends, but they were too far to visit frequently. 

Will continued his dreary musing while he took off Tugs saddle and brushed him down. He gave him an apple and one last pat on the side before going into his cabin. The cabin was bare of any personal touch, looking pretty much the same as it had when Will first moved in. He didn’t have many possessions, nor did he see the point in buying things he didn’t need. But as he took off his boots and looked around at the empty walls, he wished that there was something, anything, that made the standard Ranger cabin feel more like a home, rather than just a place to sleep and eat. 

He was going over some paperwork later that day when he heard Tug whinny. It wasn’t a warning of danger, but it also wasn’t one of familiarity. Whoever was outside didn’t seem to pose any threat to Tug, but wasn’t a friend either. Moments later there was a knock at the door. Wills hand dropped to his waist as he approached the door, double checking that he still had his knives with him, just incase.

He opened the door gingerly, revealing a young girl, no more than 10, and a slightly younger boy. They held onto each other’s hands as if they were afraid that if they let go, the other would be snatched away. 

Will was thrown so off guard by these children that he didn’t know what to say. 

“Are you a Ranger?” The little girl asked, her voice trembling slightly, whether it was with fear or cold, Will couldn’t tell. 

“Yes, I am. Is there something I can help you with?” Will crouched down so he was eye level with the children. 

“Mummy said you could help us. She said that was what Rangers do.” The girl said. At the mention of “mummy” the boy’s lip quiver and he drew himself closer to the girl.

A strong breeze blew and both of the children shivered. That’s when Will realized neither of them had coats or shoes on. 

“That’s right. Rangers help people. So why don’t you two come in and you can tell me how I can help you.” 

The children looked at each other, then at Will. It was like they were trying to decide whether or not they should go with him. 

“I’ve got a nice fire going. And I have just enough pie left for each of you to have a big slice.” Will said, trying to convince them. The sun was setting and with it, the temperature was dropping rapidly. 

At the mention of pie both children perked up and nodded. Will ushered them in and got them settled on the sofa in front of the fire, a blanket tucked around them and a plate of pie on each of their laps. Will sat on the floor facing them. 

He gave them a few minutes to eat then asked, “Can you tell me why you need a Ranger to help you?” 

The girl bit her lip, unsure, then shrugged. 

Will smiled gently, “Let’s start with something easier then. My name is Will, what’s yours?”

“I’m Rosie, and this is my brother Lewis.” 

The boy, Lewis, looked up from the pie for the first time since Will had handed it to him. His face was stained around the mouth from the berries in the pie, and Will could see purplish marks on the blanket as well, but he was smiling now and Will figured that the mess was worth it. 

“Well it’s nice to meet you both. Did you come here by yourselves?”

Rosie nodded.

“Did your mummy tell you to come find me?” Will asked.

Tears gathered in both children’s eyes. “Yes. Mummy said you would help me and Lewis. She said that Rangers are good people.”

“Can you take me to your mummy? I really want to talk to her.”

“No! You can’t! She said bad things would happen if you found her!”

At this point Lewis had tears running down his checks and he cried, “I want to see mummy!”

“Everything is going to be alright Lewis,” Will went to pat the boy on the knee but Lewis flinched away from him, burying himself deeper into the blanket. Will backed away slightly, hands down, palms facing upwards so the boy could see that Will wasn’t going to hurt him.

Directing his attention back to Rosie he said, “Nothing bad is going to happen to your mummy if you tell me where she is. I just want to make sure that she is alright. She was right about Rangers being good people. Good people don’t let bad things happen.”

Rosie thought about that. “She is at home. It’s not very far from here.”

“Would you be able to find your way back in the morning? Could you show me where it is?”

Rosie nodded.

“Good girl. We’ll go tomorrow morning then. For now, let’s get the two of you into bed, I’m sure that you’ve had a long day.”

Will was certain that he shouldn’t be sending the children to bed in their day clothes and with bellies filled with just pie, but that was the best he could do at the moment. After tucking them into the bed in the spare room, Will got himself ready for bed. He wasn’t sure what tomorrow would hold, but he wanted to be ready for whatever came his way. He had left both his door and the door to the room where the children were sleeping open, just in case. He could hear them slightly snoring, and he smiled. He still wasn’t quiet sure why the children were here, but it was nice to have some company for a change.


	2. Today you walk beside me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will has an outing with Rosie and Lewis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and Chapter title taken from the song Suddenly from Les Miserables. 
> 
> Happy FanFiction Friday!

Will was used to waking up early. He was not used to waking up to hearing two small voices trying desperately to whisper but not quite getting the hang of it.

“I told you he’d still be sleep, mummy never woke up before us.”

“Well, he’s not mummy. He could have been like Mrs. Marley. Remember how she was always awake. I don’t think she ever slept!”

“Let bring him some coffee! Mummy always wanted coffee in the morning.”

“Good idea!”

The thought of the two children attempting to make coffee was enough to get Will jumping out of bed.

“I’m awake, no need to have any coffee related disasters.”

He ushers the children out of his room and onto the couch, telling them to stay put until he comes back, then rushes back to his room to get properly dressed. He skips shaving, figuring that the less time the two children are left unsupervised the better. Fortunately, Rosie and Lewis are right where he left them, the only change being the blanket they have wrapped themselves with.

“Bit cold in here, isn’t it?” Will says moving to start the fire, then he pauses. Mentally he goes through the list of food he has in the cabin. It’s pretty sparse. There wasn’t any pie left, not that he’d be inclined to give them more, he didn’t know much about children but he was almost certain they needed to eat more than pie. There was a little bread left, but it was going stale and he was out of jam.

“Are you two hungry?” He asks them.

Rosie and Lewis nod their heads in unison.

“Me too. Let’s go out and get some breakfast.”

Will didn’t have much clothing, and definitely didn’t have anything that would even remotely fit the slight frames of the children. So he worked with what he could, wrapping his folded cloak around them. The morning was cool, but he knew that as the day progressed and the sun rose higher in the sky, the temperature would gradually rise as well, and by midday the cloak wouldn’t be needed for warmth.

The three of them made their way to the inn, the town slowly waking around them. Normally Will could pass through undetected, but the two children with him made that impossible. Will had come to realize that children were loud. They always seemed to be making some sort of noise, they were always moving around. It’s a good thing I’m not trying to sneak around, Will thought to himself as Lewis started to hum loudly to himself. The children drew the attention of the early risers around them. The elderly couple drinking coffee on their small porch. The blacksmith building his fires. The mother putting her wash out to dry. It makes Will uncomfortable. The townsfolk tended to look away when he passed. But the children seemed to humanize him, could a mystic sorcerer share his cloak with two little children? Could he hold the boy’s hand to keep him from run over to a large cart horse? Maybe. Maybe the stares weren't because Lewis and Rosie soften him to the people. Maybe they fear for the children. Will pushes that thought aside. He didn't want to believe that anyone could think he’d ever have ill intent toward a child. But judging by the worried looks and fast whispers of a few people when they see Will guiding the children into the inn, there are at least some who are concerned for the children.

For their parts, Lewis and Rosie seem oblivious to everyone else. They look around the inn in awe. Will couldn’t understand their reaction. The inn was nothing special. It was actually small in comparison to some that Will had dined in. There were tables and chairs. A big stone fireplace on one wall and the simple bar at another. But Will supposed that this could be their first time in an inn. People didn’t often bring their children to such an establishment, only on the occasional special day. Will himself hadn’t been inside one until he became Halts apprentice.

He sat himself and the children at a table in the corner, a hopeless attempt at being unnoticed. All eyes have been on Will and his two small wards since the moment they arrived. Edwina hurried over to his table.

“Ranger Will, what can I get for you and your... company.”

Will asked for three breakfast plates, milk for the children, and coffee for himself.

Edwina tilted her head ever so slightly at his order, her gaze falling to the children who were currently occupying themselves by examining Will’s ranger cloak closely.

Will noticed her hesitation at the order and started to doubt himself. Did children not drink milk anymore? That couldn’t be true, he drank plenty of milk as a boy, in fact it was encouraged by the staff who raised him, and it hasn’t been that long since he was Rosie’s age. If not the milk then what was the issue.? The food? Would the children not eat what he had ordered? They didn’t seem particularly picky but who knows...

Edwina must have seen his confusion because she said, “Those breakfast plates are quite a lot of food for such small mouths,” she gestured to Rosie and Lewis, “perhaps one plate between them would be more suitable.”

Will blushed slightly, embarrassed at his lack of knowledge regarding children, “yes, yes, that makes sense. I don’t, I’m not,” he sighed, “I don’t have much experience with children.” Try none.

Edwina smiled kindly. “Of course you don’t, why would you? I’ll get the food started then bring your coffee right over.” She smiled again then rushed off. Will looked across the table to Rosie and Lewis. They were starting to look bored, the strangely patterned cloak no longer being of any interest to them. Will searched his mind for something that could hold their attention until breakfast arrived.

“Do you want to hear a story?” He asked, not having much else to offer. Apparently he didn’t need to offer anything else because Rosie and Lewis perked up, bobbing their heads up and down in enthusiasm.

“You must have the BEST stories Ranger Will!” Lewis said excitedly.

Will laughed, “I’m not sure about the best, but I do have some good ones.” Then he dived into a tale of two boys and a wild boar. He was so caught up in the story that he didn’t even notice Edwina dropping his coffee and a small pot of honey off at the table. It wasn’t until a waiter brought the food that he wrapped the story up. Both children were absorbed in the story, but it made Lewis view Will in a whole new light. The look on the small boys face could only be described as hero worship.

Just like Edwina had said, the single breakfast plate was plenty for both of the children. Did I ever eat so little? Will wondered to himself. Once they finished, Will having done his best to clean Lewis’ hands, (why were they always sticky?), and the proper amount of coins had been left on the table, Will got the children up and they head towards the door. Before they could get half way however, the door swung open. It revealed a tall man, a sword by his hip. His eyes scanned the room, clearly looking for someone. They locked on their target. A wide grin broke across the mans face, “Will!” He called to the Ranger.

“Horace?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I am literally making this up as I go, I have about as much of an idea of what it going to happen in this story as you do. Oh well, planning is for the weak anyway (right???) Come find me on Tumblr at forgedroyalseal


	3. Suddenly you’re here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace makes his way to Seacliff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from “Suddenly” from Les Mis. Happy FanFiction Friday! Hope you all enjoy!

Horace was hungry. It’s was a common feeling for Horace. In all honesty it was the feeling he has felt the most in his life. But this morning he was particularly hungry. He had rode through most of the night in order to make it to Seacliff as fast as he could. There wasn’t a reason to rush the ride. No urgent letter or awaiting mission. His visit wasn’t even in any official capacity. He just genuinely missed his friend. It wasn’t planned. Will didn’t even know he was coming. The idea came to Horace earlier in the week. He had awoken from a nightmare. One that had him shooting up from his bed, hand reaching for his sword. He had been drenched in a cold sweat and had apparently shouted enough to cause alarm. After assuring the men who had rushed into his room that he was fine (they understood that the demons a knight fought in the night were not ones they could vanquish with their swords) Horace reflected back on his dream. He had been in Skandia again. In the middle of the Battle with the Temujai. Everything was moving around him, but he was stuck to the ground. Roots had come up from the earth and wrapped themselves around his legs, coming half way up his thighs. With every struggle against them, they tightened even more. He saw Will next to him. Not the Will he had last seen, the strong Ranger who, despite the fact that he hadn’t grown much taller, was somehow so much larger than the small boy Horace dreamt of. Dream Will was frail. His body showing the clear signs of slave rations and hard labor (Signs 16 year old Horace didn’t know to look for). In the dream, Will was fighting off the Temujai, but he was overpowered and out numbered and Horace couldn’t do anything to help his friend. He tried to shout, tell Will that one of the warriors was coming up behind him, but another root had come up and covered Horace’s mouth. He had no choice but to watch the Temujai impale Will with his sword. Straight through the heart. Will turned to Horace, blood oozing from the gaping wound in his chest. “Help me Horace” he said, before his eyes rolled back and his knees gave out.

That’s when Horace woke. Once he had calmed down, he knew what he had to do.

He had to find Will.

The ride to Seacliff was cold and wet. Horace rode hard against a driving rain for the majority of the journey. By the time he had arrived at the ferry he was soaked through and exhausted. Kicker didn’t seem thrilled with the idea of boarding a boat and crossing the rough sea. Maybe Horace has been spending too much time with Ranger’s but Kicker was giving Horace a look that seemed to say is getting to Will today really worth all this?

“Yes, it is worth it. We’ve come this far, there’s no point in setting up camp now. We will stop at the first inn we find. Even before we find Will.” Horace said to Kicker.

The ride on the ferry was about as fun as Kicker seemed to predict. Unfortunately he was wetter than he was before he boarded, which he didn’t think was possible. But thankfully by the time the ferry hit the shore, the rain had let up and the early morning sun was attempting to come out from behind the clouds. Horace stripped off his riding cloak, choosing to face the cool air in just his thin shirt than keeping the slopping wet garment on. By the time Horace found the inn, the town had started to wake up and those who were out and about took notice of the knight that was riding through. They had no way of knowing that Horace was the Oak leaf Warrior that they had all heard the heroic tales of, but it was obvious that Horace was someone important. There was an inexplicable air of confidence about him that only came from someone who was one hundred percent sure of themselves. It wasn’t a matter of arrogance, though most knights of Horace’s caliber were in fact quite prideful, it was more like he knew exactly where he was going despite the fact that he had never been to Seacliff. He was not second guessing himself, or looking around the way most travelers in a new place do. To the villagers, it look as though Horace was being driven forward by an important mission that had to be accomplished at once. In reality, the only thing driving Horace forward was his stomach.

Horace lead Kicker to the small, unoccupied stable that was next to the inn. He declined the stable boy’s offer to untack and feed Kicker. Another habit Horace had picked up from the Rangers was making sure to take care of the needs of his own horse before taking care of himself. It was a good habit. It created a bond between himself and Kicker, one stronger than any of the other knights he knew. Of course those other knights appreciated their horses, a knight’s horse could be the difference between life and death in certain circumstances, but none of them had the irreplaceable bond and trust that Horace and Kicker shared. Horace knew full well that the reason for that connection was the fact that Kicker knew Horace would take care of him, no matter what. And in return, Kicker would take Horace through whatever battle he asked him to without a second thought. Horace reflected on all of this as he rubbed Kicker down and set out some fresh hay for him. Before he left, Horace produced a shiny red apple from his pack and gave it to his horse.

“You get some rest, you’ve earned it.” Horace whispered, patting Kicker on the neck. The horse’s ear twitched as he continued to munch on his apple, uninterested in whatever Horace had to say. He had his apple and a warm, dry place to rest, there wasn’t much that mattered to Kicker beyond that at the moment.

Satisfied that Kicker was content, Horace went of in search of his own breakfast. He walked into the inn and took a deep breath. The warmth from the fire and the aroma of fresh bread and sizzling bacon encircled him. Horace scanned the room and his gaze fell on a young man with a mottled green and gray cloak draped over one arm, two small children trailing behind him. Horace’s face lit up with a grin. “Will!” He called out to the man across the room.

Will furrowed his brow, “Horace?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think and what you’d like to see happen in this story. I don’t really have a plan, I’m just going wherever the characters take me. Come say hi on Tumblr at forgedroyalseal

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading let me know what you think. Check out my tumblr @ fordgedroyalseal for FanFiction Friday updates!


End file.
